The Calgary Flames opened their road trip on the wrong foot, falling 4–1 to the Montreal Canadiens and extending their losing skid to three games.
Looking to spark the lineup, head coach Ryan Huska shuffled his lines ahead of puck drop. Adam Klapka was rewarded with a promotion to the top line alongside Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri, while rookie William Stromgren made his NHL debut, taking his rookie lap before slotting in on the fourth line. Hunter Brzustewicz also drew back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch the previous game.
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Montreal set the tone early. The opening period was played at a frantic pace, with the Canadiens controlling possession and outshooting Calgary 14–7 through the first 20 minutes. The Flames struggled to establish sustained pressure and spent much of the period defending.
© Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
The breakthrough came early in the second. At 3:10, Alexandre Texier snapped a quick shot short side for his fourth goal of the season and the 100th point of his NHL career, giving Montreal a 1–0 lead. Just under four minutes later, Lane Hutson doubled the advantage on a delayed penalty, stepping into a one-timer that beat Dustin Wolf cleanly.
The Canadiens weren’t done. A turnover in front of the Flames’ net led to a rebound chance that Oliver Kapanen converted, sliding the puck past a sprawling Wolf for his 14th of the season to make it 3–0.
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Calgary showed some pushback late in the period. Joel Farabee wired a shot through traffic that fooled Jacob Fowler, cutting the deficit to 3–1 and snapping a six-game goal drought. Brzustewicz earned the lone assist, marking the first NHL point of his career.
© Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Any momentum the Flames hoped to carry into the third was quickly shut down. Cole Caufield restored Montreal’s three-goal cushion, lifting a rolling puck over Wolf from the top of the circle. Calgary thought they had a response when Kadri wired a wrist shot past Fowler, but a video review determined the play was offside, wiping the goal off the board.
Montreal closed things out from there, finishing with a 35–29 edge in shots and a convincing home win.
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1. Power play woes continue
Calgary’s power play went 0-for-4 on the night and failed to generate much momentum. Entering the game ranked last in the NHL at 14.5 percent, the Flames once again missed opportunities to climb back into the contest with the man advantage.
2. Brzustewicz makes his presence felt
After being scratched the previous game, Hunter Brzustewicz responded with a steady performance and was rewarded with his first career NHL point. He logged reliable minutes and showed poise, making a strong case to remain in the lineup.
3. Canadiens found space up high on Wolf
Dustin Wolf has earned praise this season for his positioning and competitiveness, but Montreal found success attacking the upper portion of the net. Several goals came as Wolf dropped early, allowing shooters to beat him up high — an area opponents will likely continue to test moving forward.
